Race Review: Mud Factor 5k

In my humble opinion, every adult should do a mud run at least once a year. There’s something carnal and primitive about getting completely filthy from head to toe and spending the next three days picking crusted mud out of your ear.

On Saturday, April 26, after four days of work travel to Connecticut and Florida, the Mud Factor 5k in San Bernadino was the lucky recipient of one tired but excited epic runner and her adorable date (Matt). We got a great deal on this race from a deal in an email blast and I was personally overdue for a new down and dirty mud run, so even though I was still jet-lagged from my east coast client meetings, we loaded up on coffee and schlepped out to the Glen Helen Raceway.

Overall, the Mud Factor 5k was a pretty solid and organized race, save a few minor shortcomings.

Pros of the Mud Factor 5k:

LOTS OF MUD! Sometimes a “mud run” turns into an obstacle race with one or two mud obstacles, but the Mud Factor 5k was jam-packed with lots of great muddy obstacles.

On the same note, they were not short on obstacles. All fairly basic, but fun and manageable for first timers.

Reasonably priced and offered lots of deals. We paid $35 each for registration a couple of months ago and I was constantly seeing deals for the race.

Good race energy – They had Dr. Bronner’s Foam Experience (which we had at the ROC race last year), a backdrop to take photos, free Sambazon smoothies, beer, food and an overall cool industrial vibe.

I like the medal ’cause it’s a badass skull!

Cons of the Mud Factor 5k:

Matt will tell you that I have very little patience. A long line of parking due to slow volunteers with no sense of urgency is one of the things I have little patience for. When there’s a line of 200 cars trying to get in (some late for their wave time), let’s just move a little quicker, people! This isn’t a dig on the race since there are different volunteers at each race, but just something that bugged me.

If you are a mud run, there should never be a bag check fee. Charging people to drop off their car keys so they don’t get muddy and ruined is a no-no. Free bag check or included in the registration costs.

If you are going to charge for your shitty bag check, PUT AN ATM ON THE PREMISES. The worst thing was arriving at bag check with no cash (and it’s cash only) and then being told there is no ATM for you to get cash. What were we supposed to do at that point? Leave our keys under the car and hope it was still there when we returned?

Dangerous obstacle – There was a “slide” that was nothing more than a tarp laid down a hill on top of rocks with a volunteer hosing it down. My entire left thigh got shredded up after I barreled down at top speed. I had to stop for a second and I almost started crying – it was extremely painful and at the end of the race I could tell I wasn’t the only one who got wrecked by that obstacle. If it’s not safe, it’s not worth it.